£20,000 worth damaged suffered by school through vandalism

The attacks started on the first day of the school holidays and continued until the weekend before last when in a frenzied blitz on the school an incredible 58 windows were broken.

The vandals are thought to have clambered up on the school's flat roof and then used hammers to smash windows and hurl rocks and stones into the building smashing interior windows.

The 340-roll school in Parker Road is covered by CCTV but the young hooligans caught on camera had hoods pulled over their faces which concealed their identity.

Headteacher Pauline Johnson said the school had suffered about five incidents of breakages.

"It started in the summer holidays and carried through to last Monday.

"We broke up on July 19 and that night we lost 25 windows and we had those repaired. Two weeks later another 25 windows were broken and there were one or two instances between that.

"Then it was all quiet until we came back to school and on Monday (September 22) we found 58 windows broken.

"They must have got on to the roof with hammers. They had all the skylights out and the new double glazing in the hall."

Windows to the IT suite, the main hall and class rooms were smashed, slates on the roof were damaged and there was internal damage.

"Teachers had worked hard to get things ready for the new term and they were all covered in glass," said Mrs Johnson.

"We had to clean it all out '” cleaners and the property manager worked very hard to get it all out. It is quite horrendous and quite soul destroying given the current financial situation for all schools. We have made five insurance claims in as many weeks and it will put up the insurance premiums.

"We are here to educate and all the time I am spending on dealing with these incidents I am not working with staff to make sure the education of the children takes place. It is time wasted.

"The children have been very positive and were not phased by the incidents.

"The kids were really excellent especially last Monday when they came in to broken glass."

Mrs Johnson said they arrived to find the boys and girls toilet windows broken but the infants' toilets were undamaged or they would have had to close the school.

The following night the vandals returned and smashed the infants' toilet windows.

Mrs Johnson said there were fences all around the school and cameras which some parents were concerned were not working.

She said that they were and had picked up images of the youths doing damage but the problem was that they were wearing hoods.

Mrs Johnson said: "I think if parents know their children are not behaving in an appropriate manner they have a duty of care and they are ultimately responsible for the behaviour of the children and should not allow them to roam around streets and they should not trespass on other people's property."

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